Grabbing a quick bite

TRANSCRIPT

I love food, so I don’t think there’s any type of food (that) I don’t like, which means I’m very easy to please. I know some people can be really fussy eaters but fortunately I don’t have that problem when I’m eating out with friends. I think in the past British people had a reputation for going abroad and only going to places where they serve ‘British food’ but I think that has changed a lot. People are much more adventurous today in the UK and this is reflected in the wide range of cuisines (that) you will find all over the country. It’s good to try different things.

During working hours British people tend to grab a quick bite to eat rather than take the time to have a proper lunch, which is more common in many other countries. Personally, I don’t think this is very healthy. I think we should all stop for lunch and have a break to let our lunch digest but too often you see British people eating on the go, which probably leads to a lot of indigestion later on.

I like to take my time and enjoy the whole experience when I go to a restaurant. I can be a bit indecisive if there are a lot of nice dishes on the menu so I don’t like to be rushed into making a decision, which might be a bit frustrating for the staff if they’re all busy because the restaurant’s packed. However, for some reason I hate waiting too long after I ask for the bill. As soon as I’m ready to pay I want to leave. I don’t want to hang around. I always leave a tip for the waiter or waitress but I don’t like doing it. This is partly because I never know if the staff who served me or the boss of the restaurant will get the money in the end. But I always leave a tip anyway because I don’t want people to think I’m stingy!

VOCABULARY

easy to please– someone who is happy with any choice or optiona fussy eater– someone who only eats certain types of foodhave a reputation for– to be well-known for behaving in a certain wayadventurous– someone who likes trying different or unusual thingsa wide range of cuisines– varied styles of cooking from around the worldgrab a quick bite– get a quick snack when you don’t have much time to eatlead to indigestion– can result in stomach pains due to poor diettake my time– to want a lot of time to do somethingbe a bit indecisive– to have difficulty making a decisionrush into– do something quickly without thinking firstmake a decision– to decide, to make up your mindask for the bill– to request the paper telling you how much to payhang around– to wait or be delayed somewhere, wasting timeleave a tip– to give extra money in thanks for a service, normally 10%stingy– mean with money, unwilling to spend money